


Lena Is Working On It

by WestershireSauce



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: 25: Day, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Developing Friendships, F/F, First Meeting, Gen, Golden Retriever!Kara, Implied Relationships, Implied animal neglect, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Inspired by Twitter, Lilo and stitch reference, Mentioned Past Lena/Veronica, One Shot, One Unexpected Day, Supercorptober 2020, animal!au, black cat!Lena, domestic life, implied depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:28:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27204557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WestershireSauce/pseuds/WestershireSauce
Summary: Lena is just trying to better herself: Be more open, friendly, and a better communicator. But on the day she decides to turn over a new leaf, an unwelcome golden retriever comes bounding into her life. What is a cat to do?For Supercorptober 202025: Day
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Arias/Alex Danvers
Kudos: 38





	Lena Is Working On It

**Author's Note:**

> The animals can communicate with each other silently. Imagine the Homeward Bound and the Air Bud/Buddies movies.

Lena’s day started like most other days. She opened her green eyes when the smell of Sam preparing coffee hit her nose. She stretched, letting out a satisfied sound as her body bowed and the kinks in her body gradually disappeared. She got out of the bed, only sparing a glance at the red headed woman still sleeping on the bed. That was a newer addition to their household. Alex and Sam had started dating not too long after months of dancing around each other but sleepovers were slowly becoming more regular. They had all sat down in the living room and talked to Ruby about the changes in their relationship. The girl had taken a liking to Alex before she started dating her mother so the change from friend of mom to girlfriend of mom had gone as smoothly as they could have hoped for. Now Ruby had the attention of three members of their little family when she got tucked into bed at night. 

“Good Morning, Lena,” Sam greeted her when she entered the kitchen. The tall brunette was taking out some milk and cereal for Ruby. Lena bobbed her head in acknowledgment. She was not a fan of mornings and Sam let the brusque response slide. Lena made her way past the kitchen to take her morning bath. 

After taking some time to prepare herself for the day, Lena walked over to Ruby’s room. The six year old was still asleep, her blankets tossed away from her and onto the floor. Lena smiled to herself. The girl could be a real whirlwind of energy. At first Lena had been taken aback by it but now she was fond of her little spitfire. She had approved when Sam signed her up for soccer and she would often watch from the porch as Sam and Ruby practiced soccer drills in the backyard.

Lena sat on the bed. Ruby was still sound asleep, not even stirring when Lena called her name. She called a bit louder and the girl’s eyes finally fluttered open. “Lena?” she muttered sleepily, feeling for Lena on the bed. Lena scooched closer and the girl reached out to pull her down for a cuddle. Lena pulled back. She was not going to let Ruby sleep in. The last thing she needed was to rush breakfast while Sam looked at them both with judgmental eyes. Lena got off of the bed, ignoring Ruby’s pouty look. When Lena just stared at her from the bedroom door, the young girl finally got out of bed. She shot Lena a final sullen look as she headed towards the bathroom to wash up.

Her green eyes brightened when she saw Sam and Alex canoodling near the front door. Alex stopped talking when she spotted Lena. The red head continued in a worried tone. 

“Are you sure it’s not too early for me to bring her over?” 

Lena moved over to the couch, where she sat and pretended to be engrossed with the weather report. _Another sunny day in National City. What a surprise._ Lena saw Sam lay a comforting hand on Alex’s arm from the corner of her eye.

“I think it is a good idea to try earlier rather than later. Plus, Ruby will not let me hear the end of it if she doesn’t meet her.” 

Lena’s ears perked up at that. Who could they possibly be talking about? She frowned at the thought of the women keeping something from her. Something that even Ruby seemed to be in on. 

“Right, I’ll be by later then,” the red head still seemed apprehensive. “See you later, Lena,” Alex called out, and Lena nodded in response. 

She turned around as Sam gave the woman a kiss before closing the door behind the red head. Lena wasn’t one for mushy greetings or goodbyes. Except maybe with Ruby.

“Mom! I’m ready for breakfast!” 

Ruby called out as she ran into the kitchen, hair still damp from her shower. She vaulted onto one of the stools and grabbed the cereal and milk that Sam had taken out earlier. She poured herself some cereal and almost didn’t spill when she added milk. Lena sighed. She would have to clean that up later. 

Sam retreated to the bedroom to get herself ready for work. Lena watched the clock in the living room. The school bus would be here any moment. Ruby seemed to notice as well because she shoveled the cereal into her mouth before running off to get her backpack. Lena looked over the girl, making sure she had her uniform on properly. Sometimes the girl could be sloppy in her haste and if there was one thing Lena hated, it was an unkempt appearance. Once Ruby passed the inspection, she walked over to the front door and waited for Ruby to say goodbye to her mother.

“See you later, mom!” Ruby called out to Sam, before flinging the door open. 

Sam stepped out of the bedroom, still putting on her suit jacket. She tried to hug Ruby goodbye but the girl just waved and ran off to meet the bus. Lena walked behind her, a small smile tugging her face at the girl’s enthusiasm. She stood next to the girl as the bus approached. A couple of other children joined Ruby on the sidewalk while they waited. Ruby waved to one of them before looking down the street once more. 

One of the children, a boy a few years younger than Ruby, walked closer to Lena. Her green eyes narrowed briefly. She was a fan of her space, and this strange child was staring at her as he encroached on her personal bubble. She looked down the street herself, willing the bus to get here faster. She was about to walk away from the boy when he went for her tail. 

Lena pulled away, arching up her back as she spat and hissed at the boy. He recoiled in fear and the older girl that was with him pulled him towards her. 

“Hey, your cat is crazy,” the girl told Ruby, an angry look on her face. 

Ruby frowned and Lena was afraid she was disappointed in her. Instead the girl stood in front of Lena in a protective stance. 

“She isn’t crazy!” she retaliated, “She’s troubled.” 

Lena’s ears flattened. _Troubled? Was that what Ruby really thought of her?_

“She was a stray and my mom says maybe people were mean to her so we have to be gentle with her.” She pointed a finger at the boy. “Tony had to have been rough with her for her to react that way.” 

The other girl looked like she was about to say something but the bus arrived, the noisy screech of its brakes breaking the tension. Ruby turned around to give Lena a gentle pat on the back, “Sorry Lena, I gotta go to school. See you later.” 

The girl ran onto the bus, and Lena watched as the doors closed and the bus drove away. Lena looked back at the house, noting that Sam had watched everything from the threshold. She slunk back into the house without making eye contact with the brunette.

After the embarrassing incident at the bus stop, Lena decided to lay low for the rest of the day. Sam had called out as usual before she left for work but Lena had been too caught up in her own thoughts to come out and walk her to the door like she did most days. The tall brunette had seemed to notice that Lena was not her usual self and had brought out some of the wet food that was reserved for movie nights or other special events. Lena had eaten her breakfast while she contemplated what Ruby had said. Sure, she had not had the best life before she met Sam and Ruby. And most strays weren’t lucky enough to endear themselves enough to a family that they were taken in permanently. But as much as she appreciated Sam and Ruby, and now Alex as well, she knew she had some work to do in the socializing department. Lena had not thought of it as a problem that she was standoffish with strangers. If there was a party, of course she would retreat to a bedroom where it was quieter. One Ruby was loud enough most days and sticky hands were another hard no. 

She sat on her perch by the front window, giving herself a bath as she contemplated her next move. Lena would try to be more open from now on. She stretched and rolled onto her back, letting the sun hit her black furred belly as she made up her mind. Lena vowed to be friendlier, cuddlier, maybe even chirp once in a while. She nodded to herself. Yes, she would be a new Lena. A nice house cat. It was about time she showed some appreciation for being cared for by a wonderful family. 

~~~

Ruby and Sam arrived as usual that afternoon. Ruby seemed extra excited but she was gentle with Lena when she pet her. The black cat rubbed herself against the girl. She let out a small content meow when Ruby caressed her back. 

“Ruby, go wash up and change out of your school clothes before Alex gets here,” Sam called out. She was preparing an after school snack for Ruby in the kitchen and Lena’s nose sniffed the air when she smelled chicken. She made her way over to the kitchen but the brunette shook her head. “No Lena, this is for Ruby.” Sam added more chicken salad to the warm flour tortilla on the girl's plate. She shooed Lena when she climbed onto the counter. “Rubes! Come out here before Lena takes your chicken.” 

The small girl ran into the kitchen, clad in shorts and a t-shirt. She was barefoot. Ruby announced she was done with her task and hopped onto a stool and dove into her chicken salad wrap. Sam turned away to get her something to drink and Ruby snuck Lena a small piece of chicken. The girl kicked her legs merrily as she ate, her good mood not dampened even by Sam’s scolding for feeding Lena from her plate. 

“When is Alex going to get here?” Ruby asked, quickly finishing the rest of her juice. “Is she really bringing Kara?” 

Lena perked up at the unfamiliar name. Sam pointed at the dirty plate and empty glass. Ruby rushed to get them to the sink before hopping back on her seat. 

“She said that she would bring Kara over the next time she visited. And earlier you said she was coming by later today.” 

Lena looked between the two humans, more and more perplexed as they continued this conversation. Who was Kara? Did Alex have a child Lena had somehow not known about? How was it possible that Lena had been unaware of something so important that Ruby was buzzing with more energy than usual after a school day? 

~~~

It did not take long for Lena to get some answers. Sam fed Lena a snack herself and she let Ruby watch some television as they waited for Alex. Lena heard the rumble of Alex’s car coming down the block and she waited for Ruby and Sam to also notice the familiar sound. When the car rolled up onto the driveway, Ruby shot up from the couch, exclaiming, “She’s here!” 

Lena felt herself tense at her unrestrained excitement.

“Ruby, deep breathes. We have to make sure Kara and Lena get along, remember?”

The girl nodded but she was still grinning from ear to ear. She reached over to pet Lena and the cat eagerly pressed against her hand with her soft head. 

“Lena is going to love Kara, aren’t you? They’ll be best friends and then her, Kara, and me can be best-est friends.” She clapped her hands and Sam just nodded to appease her. 

“Okay, well, if Lena gets scared or needs some space, don’t force it,” reminded Sam. 

The young girl nodded before heading towards the door. Lena thought about following her but the tall brunette picked her up and set her on her favorite perch. 

“Here you go, sweetie. You can look from the window and come down when you are ready.” She leaned down to kiss Lena’s forehead and green eyes closed in contentment. 

Lena was brought back to the matter at hand when she heard the front door shut behind Ruby. She glanced out the door, where Ruby was waving enthusiastically at Alex, who was still in her car fiddling with something on her passenger seat, and trying to see into the backseat. Lena saw something jump up and look out the window before Alex turned around and said something to whoever or whatever was in the back seat. The cat narrowed her eyes. She would have sworn she saw a flash of blue eyes and a blonde head. Then the head peeked over the window again and Lena saw a pair of ears, perked up and excited to see Ruby, crowning the golden furred dog. 

_Oh no. No no nonono._ Lena’s eyes narrowed into vicious looking slits when Alex opened the back seat. She saw her reach for something before a ball of blonde fur hopped out of the car. Lena could hear Ruby squeal in excitement from inside the house before she started to pet the dog. _Kara_ _was a golden retriever_

~~~

Lena took another deep breath as she tried to make the best of one of the worst days of her life. Which considering her past, was saying something. Even though Sam had tried to keep Ruby from pushing the cat into befriending the dog, the girl was insistent. 

“Mom, look. Kara wants to be friends.” Kara, Alex’s newly acquired dog, was sprawled on the couch next to Ruby. 

_That’s my spot_ Lena thought, once again narrowing her eyes at the interloper. The dog looked over at Lena and her eyes sparkled. 

“Hey! Lena! Come sit down with us.” Kara nudged Ruby and the girl scratched the golden retriever behind her ears. “Ahhh, she gives the best scratches.” 

The dog lolled out her tongue and Ruby barely contained herself at the obnoxiously adorable display. She gave the dog a one armed hug that the blonde happily leaned into. Lena ignored Ruby and Kara, opting to look over at Alex and Sam reproachfully. The women were cooking dinner and they would periodically check on the trio in the living room.

Alex frowned again when Kara barked at the cat. 

“Kara, leave it,” she said. Lena raised an eyebrow when Kara stopped barking and instead looked over at Alex with an expectant face. “My mom did some training when she was a puppy but I am still getting the hang of it.”

Sam nodded and just kept chopping as she answered, “It’s okay. She’s not even two years old. She is basically still a puppy. Lena just takes a little while to warm up to newcomers. She’s much better than when she was a kitten. She was so skittish Ruby could barely touch her at first. She’ll come down when she is ready.” 

Alex glanced at the angry looking green eyes that were trained on her before she resumed her cooking duties. 

~~~

Dinner had gone better than Lena expected. The dog was crated next to the dining room and Lena decided to come down from her perch to have her meal. Kara was given her own food in her enclosure, which she devoured immediately. Lena looked over at her with undisguised distaste. 

“At least taste your food,” she muttered under her breath, not expecting the dog to hear her.

“I did taste it. It was delicious,” The blonde sniffed the air before she licked her lips to stop the drool from dripping out of her mouth. “What Alex and Sam made smells super good too.” She whined at the humans and Lena arched up. Alex sent out another command and Kara controlled herself. Lena smirked as she dove into her own meal. 

~~~

After dinner, Ruby had suggested a walk. Alex agreed, especially because Kara had to “go potty” before any accidents could occur. Lena had not been able to stifle her smug laughter at that. 

“She’s talking like you’re a puppy,” she drawled, when Kara gave her a wounded look. 

“At least I don’t go in a box in the house,” the blonde retorted, before walking towards the red head. 

Lena flattened back her ears briefly. She had nothing to say to that. 

Kara sat proudly in her harness, eager to please the three humans. Lena slunk over towards Sam, still far away enough that she knew she could run to safety if needed. Although Kara seemed harmless, Lena would rather be safe than sorry. 

“All set?” Alex asked, looking back before she opened the door. When she noticed the black cat near Sam, she shut the door and sheepishly asked, “Um, should Lena really be joining us?”

“We’re going on a family walk,” Ruby retorted like it was the most obvious fact in the world, “Lena is really well behaved.” 

The girl reached over to pat the cat and Lena purred into the touch. Then she opened the door and Lena sauntered out the house behind her. 

~~~

Kara sniffed the air happily. After a few stops to “go potty,” the group had found an easy rhythm. Ruby was walking next to the red head even though she did not let the girl take the dog by herself. The small girl had tried to talk her way into being able to walk Kara on her own but Sam had stepped in. The girl only acquiesced when Alex said she could help by holding part of the leash. Lena hung a bit back, next to Sam. Usually when they went out for walks, she would walk next to Ruby who would periodically reach down to pet the cat and praise her for her good behavior. Lena frowned when the girl pet the dog, smiling wide. Those smiles were usually reserved for Lena. 

Kara seemed to catch something’s scent because she stopped suddenly. She tried to walk off of the sidewalk but Alex held her back. Lena walked ahead to ask the dog what was going on when the scent hit her as well. 

Lena tensed when she got closer to the blonde. A familiar tabby slinked out from behind a car. The cat appraised the group, smirking when she saw Lena. 

“Well, well, look who decided to venture out of her little prison,” the cat made sure to step around Kara’s reach, who was still sniffing in her direction with interest. 

The blonde dog tilted her head, “Is this your friend, Lena?” 

Lena scoffed and Veronica lifted her head up to laugh derisively. She stepped closer to Lena, her tail swishing as she approached the black cat. Lena stood straighter, not taking the bait. 

Veronica circled Lena, “Friend? Is that what you’re telling your new doggy friend?” 

She rubbed the tip of her tail under Lena’s chin and Lena scowled menacingly at her. She knew the only way to win with Veronica was to ignore her. 

“Blondie, Lena and I go way back. She used to beg me to give her scraps when she was too weak to hunt for herself. She was always a good den warmer so I always shared.” 

Lena arched up, ready to spit and hiss Veronica away from her neighborhood.

Kara growled low and snapped her teeth before Alex calmed her down. She pulled Kara away from the cats, muttering apologies to Sam. The blonde reluctantly followed the redhead, turning back once to look at the cats before obeying. Veronica smirked after the dog. She tsked when she looked back at Lena. 

“Really? First a human family and now a dog? You really have hit a new, disgusting low.” Ruby called for Lena but Sam held her hand to keep her from approaching Lena or Veronica. She was watching Lena and the cat felt shame wash over her. She was not a stray on the streets anymore. Lena was above this. She was about to tell Veronica as much when the tabby interjected again, “You should go follow your owners, Lena, before they decide to dump you back in the street.” 

Lena’s claws sprang out but Ruby called for her again, more urgently, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. 

“That’s right, be a good little kitten and do as you’re told. You were always so obedient, after all.” 

She ignored Veronica’s snide comments and turned to follow after the group. 

~~~

Lena sat on one of the small couches in the living room. It was getting late so Alex had decided to stay over. Ruby was snuggled on the couch with Kara, who had been silently watching Lena since they returned home. She could feel the dog’s need to ask her questions about what had happened during their walk but Lena was not in the mood. The blonde fell asleep on Ruby’s lap and Lena took the chance to venture over to the pair. When Ruby noticed she beckoned the black cat over, eager to have both animals next to her. Lena had settled next to the girl when a blue eye popped open. Lena rolled her eyes. 

“Were you pretending to sleep?” she asked accusingly. 

Both of Kara’s eyes were open now and she had a small, self satisfied smile on her fuzzy golden face. 

“I was resting my eyes,” she said, but her smile widened, “I’m glad you sat with me.” 

Lena saw her tail twitch once before she controlled herself. Lena looked away before responding, “I wanted to sit next to Ruby. You just happened to be sitting here too.” 

The dog did not seem to be phased at all by her answer. 

“I’m sorry I growled at that cat earlier” She had a shameful look on her face as she apologized. 

“I’m usually super friendly to everyone but-” The dog seemed to really consider what she was about to say before she went on. “She said some really mean things and I don't think friends should talk to each other like that.” 

Lena looked away. She licked one of her paws, trying to think of what to say. The cat remembered that morning. She had made a promise to herself to be more open and trusting. Lena rubbed her whiskers and shook her paw before she looked back at the blonde dog. 

“Veronica and I are not friends. She’s a nasty reminder of a time in my life I would rather forget.” Kara nodded but she did not say anything for a while. 

“Is it true that you were a stray?” Kara asked and Lena nodded. 

“Yes. I was born and raised a few streets over near some ditch. Sam and Ruby took me in after they found me digging in their trash for scraps.” 

She expected Kara to gasp or make some sort of wide eyed, innocent remark about how _awful_ that must have been but she did not say anything for a while. Lena thought the dog might be done talking but then the blonde’s eyes welled up before she looked away from Lena. 

“Eliza, Alex’s mom. She gave me to Alex a few days ago. She was leaving our house to go to an apartment and I couldn’t come.” 

Lena bristled at that. She knew humans could be heartless though. They could be downright cruel. Kara inched her paw towards the cat to calm her down. Lena’s dark train of thought was broken and Kara went on. 

“I was still a puppy when Eliza’s husband, Jeremiah, died a little after they brought me to their home and I think the house made her sad. She would cry a lot and forget to walk me or feed me sometimes and then she would call Alex to come take me out to the park or beach,” The dog faltered a bit and Lena put her paw over the larger, blonde one. Kara smiled before she went on, now looking directly at Lena, “I know Alex doesn’t really want me. She is nice but she works a lot so when she said we were going to visit her girlfriend and a little girl and a pretty cat- Well, I was hoping we could all be a family someday.” 

She seemed to catch herself and she pulled back, “Or at least friends.” 

Her jerky movements jostled Ruby and she looked over at Lena. The cat saw her brown eyes widen before a huge smile appeared on her face. She patted both Lena and Kara. 

“We’re going to be best friends,” she whispered as she relaxed further into the couch. Lena looked over at the dog, who seemed to be looking everywhere but at her. Her green eyes softened as she looked at the blonde. 

“Yes, friends would be nice.” 

**Author's Note:**

> The tweet that inspired me: [A kitty and a puppy](https://twitter.com/teamsuper_miami/status/1312998178439016448?s=20)
> 
> Seriously, what do young children eat? The true writer's block was figuring out what to feed Ruby afterschool.


End file.
